Part 249

"Resolved, That the United States ought to reimburse the said persons the money which they have expended in having entries and surveys made, and in obtaining grants, and any other incidental charges which they have necessarily incurred, with interest; and that they should moreover make a reasonable allowance for the loss and damage which the petitioners have sustained, by having possession of the said land withheld from them:"

The question was taken, that the House do agree with the Committee of the whole House in their disagreement to the said second resolution, and resolved in the affirmative.

The third resolution reported by the committee, being again read, in the words following, to wit:

"And whereas, the grants to the aforesaid lands, made by virtue of an act of the Legislature of North Carolina, are valid to all intents and purposes, as coming fully within the purview of a condition contained in the act of session from the said State to the United States: therefore,

"Resolved, That, whenever the United States shall think proper to extinguish the Indian claim to the said lands, by purchase or otherwise, it will be just and reasonable that the several persons who have obtained grants or made surveys or entries, should have such rights confirmed and established, and their titles perfected, in preference to any other persons, on repaying to the Treasury of the United States, the amount of what they may now receive, as a compensation for their disbursements and losses, in case such persons shall think proper to make such repayment within a certain time, to be limited by Congress for that purpose:"

The question was taken that the House do agree with the Committee of the whole House, in their disagreement to the said third resolution, and resolved in the affirmative.

A motion was then made, and the question being put, that the House do agree to the following resolution:

"Resolved, That such persons as have entered lands agreeably to the laws of North Carolina, in the territory ceded by that State to the United States, and on the Indian side of the line established by the Treaty of Holston, ought to be reimbursed by the United States the amount of the purchase-money actually paid for the same, and the necessary expense of locating and surveying, where the survey has been made; such persons first relinquishing their right thereto, to the United States:"

It passed in the negative--yeas 14, nays 56, as follows:

YEAS.--Theodorus Bailey, Thomas Blount, William B. Grove, George Hancock, Matthew Locke, Nathaniel Macon, Joseph McDowell, Alexander Mebane, John Page, Robert Rutherford, William Smith, Benjamin Wiliams, Richard Winn, and Joseph Winston.

NAYS.--Fisher Ames, John Beatty, Elias Boudinot, Shearjashub Bourne, Benjamin Bourne, Lambert Cadwalader, Thomas Claiborne, David Cobb, Peleg Coffin, Joshua Coit, Jonathan Dayton, Henry Dearborn, George Dent, Gabriel Duvall, Benjamin Edwards, Thomas Fitzsimons, Dwight Foster, Ezekiel Gilbert, Nicholas Gilman, Henry Glenn, Benjamin Goodhue, Andrew Gregg, Thomas Hartley, John Heath, James Hillhouse, William Hindman, Samuel Holten, John Hunter, William Irvine, Aaron Kitchell; Amasa Learned, William Lyman, James Madison, William Montgomery, Andrew Moore, Peter Muhlenberg, William Vans Murray, Anthony New, John Nicholas, Nathaniel Niles, Alexander D. Orr, Josiah Parker, Andrew Pickens, Francis Preston, Thomas Scott, John S. Sherburne, Jeremiah Smith, Samuel Smith, Zephaniah Swift, George Thatcher, Uriah Tracy, Jonathan Trumbull, John E. Van Allen, Peter Van Gaasbeck, Artemas Ward, and Paine Wingate.

Another motion was then made and seconded, that the House do come to the following resolution:

"RESOLVED, That the President of the United States be requested to cause a treaty to be entered into with any Indian tribes who may claim, hold, possess, or be entitled, to any lands within the territory ceded by the State of North Carolina to the United States; and to endeavor to obtain, by such treaty, an extinguishment of the Indian claims to all lands, the pre-emptive right to which has been sold by the said State, in pursuance of the act of one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, opening an office for the sale of the said lands."

Ordered, That the said motion be committed to Mr. WILLIAM SMITH, Mr. DAYTON, Mr. SWIFT, Mr. MCDOWELL, and Mr. PAGE.

MONDAY, February 9.

ROBERT GOODLOE HARPER, returned to serve in this House as a member for the State of South Carolina, in the room of ALEXANDER GILLON, deceased, appeared, produced his credentials, was qualified, and took his seat in the House.

FRIDAY, February 13.

Heirs of Count de Grasse.

A memorial of Amelie, Adelaide, Melanie, and Silvie de Grasse, four daughters of the late Count de Grasse, now residing at Salem in the State of Massachusetts, was presented to the House and read, praying a loan of money for their present subsistence; the effects which they brought from France being exhausted, and having no other means of support, but in property in the Island of St. Domingo, from which, under present circumstances, no supplies can be drawn.

Ordered, That the said memorial be referred to Mr. AMES, Mr. MADISON, and Mr. GILMAN, with instruction to examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House.

WEDNESDAY, February 18.

Count de Grasses Heirs.

The House then went into a committee on a memorial from the four daughters of the late Admiral Count de Grasse. It was read with the report from a select committee, which proposed to give each of these ladies, who are now residing in Boston, and in indigent circumstances, a thousand dollars, in consideration of the important services rendered by their father to the United States. To this proposal the committee agreed, and the Chairman reported the resolution.

The House then took up the report.

Mr. MACON objected that though the claims of the petitioners were strong, yet they were not more so than those of multitudes of others. On the very day when we have come to a resolution to receive no more petitions from our fellow-citizens, we are going to give so large a sum at once to foreigners. He was aware that the Count de Grasse had done eminent services to America, and he felt them as much as any person, but he still saw no reason for preferring these petitioners, when there were likely a hundred of the officers of De Grasse, or of Rochambeau's army, that were in this country, and in want.

Mr. DEXTER said, that if ever there was a case where it would be proper to act first, and thereafter try to find reasons for what had been done, this was such a case.

The report was, on a division, agreed to by a great majority--sixty-one gentlemen rising in the affirmative. The resolution is in the following words:

Resolved, That, in consideration of the extraordinary services rendered the United States by the late Count de Grasse in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one, on the urgent request of the Commander-in-chief of the American forces, beyond the term limited for his co-operation with the troops of the United States, there be allowed and paid to Amelie, Adelaide, Melanie, and Silvie de Grasse, daughters of the late Count de Grasse, respectively the sum of one thousand dollars each.